Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 101, 7 June 1902, Page 5

Rugby Football.

THK Athletic hist fifteen is tins season peifouning ni championship matches in actoulance with custom, and tme to tiachtion In othei woids, the\ aie only waking up to the fact that a sones ot championship games aae in progiess ;ust when the e\ ent is almost decided. With tho best gymnasium in town, and hawngthe right to commence using it a.s soon as they please, it is much to he legiettecl tliat they do not take ad- \ ant-age of then oppoi'tunities for tiaaning earlier in the season than they do Thifiveai's expedience is not a solita.iv instance — it is tho old old stoiv of foimer eais ■* * • Their match with Poneko la&t Satuida\ -\\as an inteicsting go" in fact, a keener game has not been played on the Park this season. During the nist half the Ponoke team had all the best of the play, but then attempts to cross the line — and they made mam — were only once successful. Time and again the forwards would break away with the ball at their toe*-,, but miuchcious hard kicking would give the Athletic full-back every opportunity of dealing his line The backs would then take a hand m the game, but tho\ too spoilt several excellent chances bv reckless passing and, m some instances selfish play Combination was conspicuous only by its absence, and unless a decided improvement is manifested in thi<- direction in the second lound of matches the roneketeam Mill not be long in losing the lead it now enjoys Towards the close of the first half. McEae— a consistent scorer— snapped the ba.ll up, and struggled across, Wallace le-gisteung the irajol points

lii the second spell, the Übieties moie than held then i>\\n, and -several times ucie within an ace ot scoring, but th<> Poneke te<un added anothei tlnco pumth as the lciult tit a 111 1 > gajned by I) Wilson TowaacLs the end of tlie game, jYlxAn«il)\ wa>s compelled toietne tlnough an accident to lus slioulder — which by the wa\ mil incapacitate him toi about a foitiught His team misled his sei- \ tees to such an extent tha' liad the game lasted auotliet h\ c imiuitos the piobabjhh xs that, instead of suffeinicj defeat the Athletic team would ha\e won tlu> match Then foiuaids ncio at it hanimei and tongs taking full ach antage of then oopmionts' weakness, and did then le\el best to a\ert defeat, but it w a,s not \o be Fiom a beautitul pass b\ Kelh, Allen giounded thobaJJ close to the goal oosts, and Hales landed a, goal from the subsequent kick Had the Athletic skiopei on en Ins tin ee-quarters more woik And opened up the. game moic instead of letting the forwards do the bulk of the woik the lesult might lia\e boon diffeieilt Haies was saie, but not biilliant, as full-back His lack of pace on occasions failed to get him out of tight comeis His kicking was up to conceit pitch and the nai be hi ought down Wallace when that plavei \. a.s stiea.king for the line w^s desenedly anplauded Allen, the ex-Otago Univeisitv men who could not be given a place m the Wellington Club team, gave a taste of his duality in. the thiee-uuartei line, and his exhibition wa.s faar He had not many opportunities of show ing his mettle but when lw gets under weigh lie coveis a lob of ground in quick time Kelly wa.s responsible for a lot of good dodgy runs And vet his woik was 1 ait her patchy He w^ fairh at soa in the first spell, but made amends dunng the «econd. Kelly errs in making the game' too close and should lisk a little more in giving; his three-quarter line a chance. Amongst the forwards, C'oadv, Joyce, and Hales were most prominent However even- one was a grafter, and from mv view point there did not soem to be a single passengei m the \nnguaid Slater at full-back for IVmeke, played one of his best games this season and his claims for representative honours will take a lot of pushing on one side when the time* comes round to make the awards A notable feature of his play w as. the consistent w <t\ in which

lie found the line with sei\ iceable puntfc, <u\d lus ueiunal defence was sound. Roberts and Wallace shared the honours of the back divisaon, both playing right up to the mails. ()'( onnell, at half-back, made one or two neat marks but geneially speaking it lie lubbod some lesin on his hands beto rt staitmg play he would find it of immense sen ice. in enabling him to get ,i him gia/sp ot the ball. Slatteiv aiul Manning had not many opportunities, but the toimei's> glory H>ems to ha\e aito'jethei departed Unlew- lie impious gieath direct.lv a place in th< uinioi team should be found for him M annul" wao s<ih> albeit \,c got a Uma, \\<i\ out of Ins place hrn Allen Moied He made some good tnck\ nil) 1 - -i*i(i his line kicking up to standaid The loi wauls p layed a haid game light thiough, and seemed to be- of such e\en ( ( uaht\ that it is, haidly fair to 11 un/> oiv> as being bet tei than his com1 ades Honoui has not - et learnt the ait of thiowmg, the bail out from touch, and ought to bo given a -Mace in the lineout instead. An excellent exhibition of what combination can do on a football field was made b\ the Old Boas in their match against the Onentals From the start the game us, a back one, and the amount of pa&sina; indulged in on both .sides wa& a trea,t to witness. The Old Bovsplaved nght up to their best form, and, ne\ei flagging, ran their opponents right off them- legs tow aids the close of the second spell The scoie — 11 to 3 — does not present a fan idea or how close the game was, and it «af- only at the finish that the Orientals began to tire Several times they had excellent chances of equalising matteis, but it was not their day out, and the^ could not take full advantage of them. Frank Johnson was a host in him&eJf for the winners. a,nd once again proved how haid a man he is to stop when fair1\ going. His efforts were well supported h\ McKenzie and Stout. Buddie, made some amends for his inglorious exhibition the previous week, but theie is loom for still further impi o\ ement Pago put in s.ome good work and his defence wa<- \ ci v sound Wa/tkins and Odlin were most prominent <imona the foi wards a,nd they weie well seconded b\ Dodd and Palethoipe

The Oriental lull-back, Thomp&on, had a big afternoon's, work in stopping .speedy opponent*,, and he got through lii.*, contract exceedingly well. He made no mistake m bringing Jus ad\ei sai \ dow n w hen he could reacli him. Bush'fei defence was solid, but his attack was not so effective. He was a gieat thorn in Johnson's side on. more than on,e occasion, and his collaring was \ ery sure. Carr and Cha.pman had not much to do in the way of attack. They had excellent oppoitumties, however, of trying then collaring poweis and they o,ivp fairrv good exhibitions in this dnection Robeits put in soiiK- fine work behind t.lii'l sci urn and his pafcsing iva^ low and ace mate A few more "goes" on his own account might be tued with success. It was a treat to see Skilton coming up the held with the ball at his feet. Time after time ho broke right away fiom Ins, opponents Parker, Evans, and Wylie were the most conspicuous of the other Oriental forwards. ♦ The fchii d seauoi match was olayed at Petone, between the Melrose and Petone teams and was only an exercise for the town lot. the final scores reading 27 to m] in their favour Touch," the football writer of tlie 1 New- Zealand Times," is making himself known throughout the Wellington district, at any rate— if not the colony — not by the weight of his opinions on football matters, but by the absurd number of enors that appeal- among his notes, and the inconclusive nature of his arguments. A week or so ago he laboured through half a column to show that a free kick should be given against a team who at a drop-out persistently landed the ball in touch. "Off-side Mac," in a recent issue of the Carterton "Leader," thus disposes of "Touch," in a concluding comment on the above .— " 'Touch ' runs along smoothly so long as he confines himself to 'altruistic ioonoclasm' and 'things like that.' but when he commences to argue on the laws of the game, or how the game should be play9<\ he becomes as chaotic as a Maori tning to explain the laws of the Australian Commonwealth." In a Palraerston paper, on Wednesday w eek said w inter noticed that the Referees' Association there had decided to ask the ruling of the local Asso(Cantunied on page 6.)

outturn on the question ot uhcthot a kickei foi goal could place the hall on the giound heroic taking lus kick ' To put Ihe Palrneiston people light on the niattoi Touch" pi oeeoded toanswei the question in Thursda\ mornings papei and got so tar astra\ a,s to cause 3h Noil is the ehainnan of tie Refeioes' Association to write to the K\oning Po-t" the S.IIHC evening explaining the Assor lation's eoi leet luhngon tlie point submitted Tn the next issue ot the Times' hiend Touch" conechd the statement made in t*he pie\ious one, and the collection was HoiH' than his first comment and entneh misleading So that in case theie should be aiu doubt in the minds ot the leadeis of these notes and the\ cover a vsist eirea — a,s to the conect metliod of procedure when .1 place-kick is beting taken let me st ite bow the Wellington Rcf<icos Association lilies The kickei can take the ball into his hands , n in>tiuetiiig the placoi-- the kukei and placci being two distinct pLneis how to place the b.vll in all place - kicks at goal When he hands the ball back to the place) the lattei is then in position to plac- the ball and aftei he has done i,o tl X kirkci cannot handle tae had agaau nuclei an\ circumstances con if ;i no chaise' is allowed Tf he does so, the kick is foifeited111 the case of a kick at goal from a try the opposite -jde to fliop out in the case of maiks 01 fiee kicks a sciumm ,iic is aw ai ded w lici c the inai k 01 heekick was given And furthei, if the placei chops the ball wiienheis in position to place it as abo\ c stated the kick is foifeited and similai couises followed to when tho kickei handles the ball FmaJh . the pla<ci cannot bo off-side- in placing the ball a. * ■* Those who are of the opinion that it was a mistake foi the City Council 0101 to ha\e allowed the Miramar Estate to shp thiough their hngois ha\e onl\ to chaw attention to the numbei of oui youth who indulge ii athletic sports at Mnaina.i even' Satuichu afternoon Whou \ou get tluough the K\ ans Ba\ tutting an nnmcnsp fiat lies 011 each Mdc ot the load, and it is co\eied with the plaveis of Rugby soccor, liockev <\nc\ their own partieulai ciowcls of bailackeis and interested spectatois Just listen while I give some hguies Se\en Ilugb^ football games, in which '210 pla\eis aie taking part nine Association football matches, 198 plavcis thiee hocke\ games <)<) plav(>rs or a total or 474 plavcis all in e\ idence <\t Mnamai on the one afternoon And \et some ])eople stud it w asS not ach isable to secuie Mnamai to the cit\ as a led eat ion iesei\e In fact the Ratopa\eis Association went oiut< lmclwith passion at the \ei v idea ot wasting public money in tho acquisition of tho Mna])i,n Kstate And it »" ' not be foigottcL that the whole ot the available flat !<■ id is not occupied in plawng, tlie ganii s I ha\e meoitioned abo\ c theie is plc'it,\ 11101 c to spare I did not notice main paiticulaiK hnllia'it things in the wa\ ot Ruab\ football out the.v last Satin da\ In the Soutlxui II a Wellington 111 match \ouug Clowes made a splendid place-kick — one that would ha\e cowied him with gloi\ it it had been made on thePaik Ati\ was sccuhhl within a \aid of the coiner flag He took tho ball out as fa.i as the twontv-fno line and with a hue kick s<-nt it tan ac loss the centre of the cio'-s-bai with just sufficient powei bt^lund it Ihe garni pla\<d at Palmeiston on Tuesda\, between the team ot that name and Poneke. waft a decidedh niteiestmg go ' The Pahnerston team had lx en 'defeated the previous Satin da\ b\ 1^ points to 3 h\ the Institute team one of the othei seiuoi teams ot tin Manawatu Union and the maioiitv of the ot whom theie weie a goodU numbei thought the «arne would oiil\ be ,\n exeicise toi the \ lsitmg team But tli<'\ weie out in then suinuso Although PoueLe did not ha\e its hill st length toi the tup \et it wa.sa good lepiesentatne team and tlie men horn Wellington had to ful!\ extend theinsehesto win Kiun scoied a ti\ and comeited the mine foi Palmeiston Wallace (2) And Honom cio>ssi»£» th(^ line toi Poneke W\ he is pla\mg light up to his best form M\d would be a certamtv foi a place 111 Wellington's iepie«-entati\ c toam if he weie now pla\mg in tins cit\ His geneial woik was good and, while being instrumental in making the opening which led to Palmeiston's scoie the final pass b\ him to Fun v nas a ft tic one Finn is a school teacher in Foxton and will be lemembeied ah having shown some rare splinting abilities at cash sports m Wellington and countiA districts Though placing a good safe game with his pace he could take moie chances and perhaps make bet.tei openings for hi« confines 1 Bi unimv" Smith still jumps foi the ball on the line-out with a deal of sue-

tess and still battles along with .ul\ ant,age to Ins team m the \anguaid ToiteiiMMi an e\-]\uu ki toiwaid was \\ \ln \ mat( in the hotii ot the v 1 urn, and kept going u< II Baker is .1 ])ictt\ left-toot kuk<i hut could run a bit uune at times Matin bon was solid and sate at fullback and Wmgate did a deal ot haul giatt behind the mm The toi wards weie willing and stiong W\lie Toi tendon, and Smith being the best ot (lv in Theie weio one 01 two in the pack who lacked know lodge but geneialb thewotk uas ouod and with The than' i- ut\ nlaxcis ha\cot ff\ m»\,\Mum ttammu conld bo made a lot or The two w nig-to) waids weio out to obstruct then opponents, A\\.d penalties given against them could not cine them of then bias in this dn ec tion The one on the Jiel't of the suunnnagc I can't think cf his name ui«4 now did some c 1< \ei woi k en the line-out Foi Ponelu Wallace was m his best h)im Robeits Manning, and O'Connoll gieatlv assisting, him among the backs Wilson Mcßao and Sweeney ueie the best of a sciummage tbat grafted haul against a heavier bngade The game w a>s pla\ed in a hue spnit and was gieath enio\ed b\ the lookeisThe Wanai..pa Leaden- sa\ s in a locent issue — "\raon? t)x Masteiton team i\,is Hoffeinan, who repiosented the Thames in 18%. The statement h\ the. Age' that he lepioscnted Auckland is mcoirect n<s 'Snowy' of that ilk was the man who rendeied gioat seiiice to the Noitbomors in the da\s of Mach-g-an Jeiws and Co " Built is the Leadei 11 that is \\ 10112; Jim Hefternan a \oungoi biothci ot Sno\\\'s," rcpiesentcd Auckland in 180(i what time he pla\ed for the teuton district to.im in tli.it pa it of the coloiu A lenethv einstle on the subject of refeaec<% and then abilities 01 otheiwifee appe.r.ed m the New Zealand Timers" on Sa,tuida.\ Last with the nnni de plume of Roseaciant/" Itliasbcon asonbed to many pineis but the concensus ot opinion is that the w 1 itoi is sa.il m a- under false coloui<- he is not an actne se .101 pla\et But in comlTUvutine; 011 the article 1 will assume that Rosenciant/" is what lie claims to be The aiticle ho\\e\ci is a aood 0110 and contains mam luteiestms; pomt 5 - Tin- hist bin 12, tint struck me, howe\er. w,i 5 that it was o'ie of the ea.siost tlnna.s m the world to cutieise the actions of .1 leleioe especial l\ fiom t^e phuei's standpoint for, m the majonU ot instances, the comment 5 - can onh be mado on heaissw OMdence. ami not from actual contact with the alloyed mistakes of the refeiec 'Old p!a\ers cannot be induced to tako up the duties " so sa\s the anoii>iiious wntei No, the\ piefei like him to pa.ss captious criticisms on tlie actions o"f tho«>e endeavounup, to cairy out tlu« duties to the best of then abilities d,u\ prefei when then tnvc ioi plawng past to watch the 110111 the bank lather t'aan take the thankless po-t of leteree ,'iid be mac!e the butt toi ciiticiMU b\ the pkueis who took pail in it It Robenciant/" is sinceie m Ins dei-ne to imnio\e the toi.e of toothall let hr.n win the Refeiee> Ay soti.'t<iou (Hen it not a.s auactr. c k>-j-eico In Jin caso Mu-ie aie tw o Satuida\'- in eacli season in w Inch ho could tau, the whis-lle, and give an obiect lowm to tlio legular iefeiec>s. Itoitamlv agico with the \uitor that a iek-iee should a,l\\ ays be picpaied to 1 etui 11 a couiteous answei to a coiuteou.s duestion on am decision Ri\en bv 1111.1 but the captains of the competing teams ought to bv the onK pla\ei>s who should as,k the questions, although any pla\oi should be allowed to a&k for a iiilins, to be a,nen thiough his captain Pkumg the ball on the giouncl " A!l the w liter said uncle 1 t!n>s head I ae;re(> with enUioh The way I lead the mle on tins point is that the penalty ot a he<- kick should'onK be abided wlieie a, pla\ei delibeiateU lies 011 the ball 01 when' bciim. on tihe lie giabs the bail if it should come 111 his dmution Tli<' mstaiue of a plaAei luii'.ing with the ball being tackled, and comnx* to tilie jiiuimd with it 111 his possession constitutes a dead ball, and, in mv opinion cannot be bio'ught in ( pla\ am othe, wa> than by playing it with the foot It biousht into pla\ ttheiwiso the hall should he bi ought back and sciinnmaood a fiee kick shou'd not b(gi \ on Obstiuction " -The wntej's lemaiks undoT this head aie conunendable Tlic obstructicwi tactics are the unfanest of all and should be ngidlv put down and oven if the referee fcempoianlv lo.st sight ot the ball to n atch for acts of this descnntion it would be for the benefit of tlie pmp The classification of senioi lefeiees h\ the captains of the senioi teams in tlie i^iaetiice matches at the beginning of tho reason has a lot to commend it but to proporlv cany it out methmks a sub-

(omi.uttee, sa\ oi time, ajid not the u hoio ot tlie captains, .should lia\ c tho liu.il decision a» to w bethel a lefreieo u <i,s capable ot coiitiollmg semoi games Goueiallv vspoaknig, then "Rosontiani/" has delnercvl lumsclt m a \ i»r\ able Manuel and has gnon lefeieos much tood toi thought II i!<e.< is am nienibei of the sub-committee of icfeiees appointed to visit the gymnasium whom he coufcidei*. weak in Ins rulings, I uould suggest to lain tliat he might lequcst blie executne ot his club to niMti 1 the Association to seiid tliat roteiee along to his club's tiainmg "-her! A debate between the two would no doubt be kee.nl\ appiociaU 1 h\ the mrnihejs oi that rlub and nuglit lmpune consideiabK t'len knowledge of tin 1 ules * • ♦ Tlie accident to McAnaiK last vSatuida\ sugge^tfi a coincidence. The Satindtu pievious tio the last occasion when Poneke tia\eJled to Palineiston tlnee veaas ago and whin pUmng against Atli'letic- -McAnallv w a.s unfoitunato onough to ha,\e a lib bioken The Pomekfts tiavelled once again to Palmoiston tin*, week, ajid m McAnalK 's case history repeated itself It is ,saiid that Faulknei, the big Wairaiapa tliree-ciuaitoi, is endoavounra to get into the Poimanent Aitallei\. and alicath thei< v is some club jugslins going on to sccuie his services He is not ai marvellous three-quar+ei , but is a great kick The la.st time he pLned m Wellington the 'whoop" of the boys ow>r\ timo ho boosted the ball was vei-s pi onounced. Jacobs has gone awa\ again, having left on Saturday night for Southland Tt js i opai tod that theto is a great probaln!it\ ot Southland sending a renresentatne tea.m right lound the colony tins season and as it will be a fine tup Jacobs haft eono Tnveicaia,il!w arc!'- to (|Ua.lih for it